4 Factors SMBs Need to Consider When Moving to the Cloud
Cost, resources, flexibility, security — consider these factors before you move services in your SMB to the cloud.
If your SMB is considering a move to the cloud, what top factors come into play?
- Cost. On-premise data centers require costly upkeep. You must budget to replace aging and outdated hardware, upgrade software, provide space for the equipment, and pay for the electricity to run the equipment and heat/cool the data center facility. Compare the savings from outsourcing all this to a cloud provider versus paying it all yourself.
- Resources. Who will manage your cloud storage and computing environments? Do you have current employees with the right skill sets, or will you need new hires? Must your cloud environment be managed in-house, or can management be outsourced to a provider? You also need to know the resources of the vendors you choose. What service level agreements (SLAs) do they offer? Will multitenancy affect performance? What resources do they have to manage customer service?
- Flexibility. How much flexibility does your company require? Fast-growth companies and businesses with seasonal demands often crave the easy scalability of cloud. Some companies also demand customization. Can you live with a one-size-fits-all approach, or are the needs of your SMB more nuanced?
- Security. Security takes many forms. One is how secure does your data need to be? Is your particular industry subject to compliance requirements? Who is responsible for a breach? What are the cloud vendor's failover and high availability requirements? Another area of security is protecting the uptime of your business. If your location is hit by a natural or manmade disaster, will your cloud provider help you through it? Will your vendor manage daily backups as well as disaster recovery planning?
You may have asked yourself these questions before and know the answers already. Or you may be at the start of your cloud journey, feeling overwhelmed by all the information to take in and consider.
Magenium cloud experts help clients create the right cloud strategy. Deployment, service models, vendors — we can help you find the best options for your business.
Do you need help navigating cloud solutions for your small or medium-sized business? Please contact us or call +1 (630) 786-5900.